The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-06-25
Drainage and Drought.

That the placiHg of diain-tiie several ie.'
below the surface II land naturally l0A
and generally moist IL Of great value Ia
carrying fl the water will be readily al
mitied. IL IL reasonable u presume that
such land will I've greatly benefited by
providing an outlet for the water that would
otherwise be retained by the soil till |,
could he carried off by the slow process of
evaporation. Low lands are generally
much richer than those that are elevated,
as they receive, by the constant How Of Wa.
ter through and over the soil, vegetable
and mineral substances that produce fer:il.
ify. They are the last portions OF a farm
ordinarily cultivated, Ms the cost OF drain.
Ing them Is greater than the new settler
can meet. Net only In the New England
and middle states, but In most of the west.
ern states and territories, the high lands
are first cultivated. There are more days
Ia the year that the pillow can be used on
high land than on low, and the farmer
who Is improving new place desires to
have rs many acres In crop rs he can man
age
That under.drains are of great advantage
TO moderately high lands In u wet season Is
obvious The tile carry of most of the
water Immediately after heavy rain, and
leaves the soil In a condition 10 be worked
by the pillow. Land that Is tile.drained can
he plowed earlier In the spring than that
which Is provided with artificial passages
for the water, and the success OF small
grains largely depends on early sowing
Tile drainage Is also highly beneficial to
crops that are TO be be cultivated during a
rainy season. Corn Is more likely 10 suffer
from an excess than from deficiency OF
moisture In the soil The hoe, pillow, and
cultivator can not be used To advantage
when the soil contains much water. Tile
drains carry of the water from cultivated
field and allow implements to be used
among growing crops They insure the
growth of vegetation that would Otherwise
suffer from excess of moisture. They are
of especial advantage TO corn where rapid
growth Is promoted by soil that Is fairly
dry and quite warm. Under drains, during
wet season, not only keep the soil sutli-
ciently dry TO allow corn to make rapid
growth, but they have the effec, of raising
its temperature.
That under drains are highly beneficial
during seasons of protracted drought many
persons who have never had an opportunity
doubt Still all who have seen corn on
drained fields snd have compared its con.
dition with that planted on land that WAS
not provided with tile are prepared to give
evidence In favor of drainage for prevent
ing the injuries that are produced by pro
tracted drought. The prospect is that the
largest crops Of corn, wheat, rye and oats
In the west this season will be harvested
from land that Is under drained. They are
not suffering from drought like crops that
were planted on undrained land. The auc-
tioneer who declares that the clothes he
offered for sale would keep the wearer
warm in winter and cool In summer Obvi.
Ously claimed too much for them. But II
Is no eXaggeration to say that under1ralns
serve to keep the coil dry In wet season
and to keep il moist during the prevalence
of very severe drought Seeing is be-
lieving," in this as In other matters. A
visit to any portion Of the west at the pres.
ent time Will convince one that under
drains supply moisture to plants during
very dry weather.
During very warm weather the air con-
tains a vast amount of invisible vapor
This vapOr of water may be condensed by
causing 1t to come In contact with some
cold substance, as the outer surface of a
pitcher filled with ice. Under.drains cause
currents of air to circulate through them
and to pass upward through them into the
soil. AS the soil is much cooler than the
air that passes between its particles much
of the invisible vapor 1t contains is con.
densed In the form of dew, and Is made
available for plant growth. This condensed
vapor is deposited deep in the soil, where
1t will not be evaporated as II would be II
Il was on the surface OF the ground. II Is
within easy reach of the roots of the plants
that are In need of moisture. The plants
are watered from below and not from
above. They are constantly receiving the
benefit of an underground watering. Most
persons have noticed that the walls of eel.
ars through which there Is free circula.
ion of air are moist during very dry sea-
sons. The vapor Is condensed on them be.
cause they are comparatively cold. The
same thing takes place when air passes
through drains and the soil that is above
hem -Erchange.